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[Aaron T]

Sunday I began the day with the intention of going to Thomas Keller's casual restaurant in Yountville, Ad Hoc, for dinner, providing that the menu was good. (They only have a single 4 course prix fixe $45 option per night.) But when I called in the morning, the recording on their phone said they were closed that night for a staff holiday party. So still in a mood for some good food, I went online and then thought, why not see if I can go to Bouchon? I went to Opentable and was able to snag a lunch reservation for 12:30 pm, which was then about 2 hrs away. I got ready quickly and then hopped in the car for the hour ride up to the Napa area.

Bouchon is decorated in the faux bistro style, a la Balthazar or Pastis in New York. I thought it felt a little incongruous in the location, but what do I know? It is smaller than I had expected and filled up completely while I was there. Overall, lunch at Bouchon was good. I began with the infamous foie gras, served just as it is in the time warner center, in a glass jar with some toasts on the side. Delicious. This dish is so rich and decadent - the layer of golden foie on top is especially tasty. They brought out additional warm toasts unprompted, which I appreciated. I drank a Schramberg rose sparkling wine.

Next up was Gnocchi à la Parisienne, sautéed gnocchi with a ragoût of winter vegetables, beurre noisette & sage. This dish was just good, nothing special. I wouldn't order it again as I want more than just good at this restaurant. The gnocchi were lighter and less dense than I am used to but also had an odd consistency. I drank a Boxler Riesling with this. The wine was more enjoyable than the dish.

I found some more room and rather than getting a dessert, ended with a Bibb lettuce and garden herb salad. Salad was nice and refreshing and greens were of high quality. The A+ foie and the B+/A- simple salad more than made up for the B level of the gnocchi. The foie makes this a destination in itself.

Next I strolled over to the French Laundry to stop by the holiday open house. I basically had a second lunch, including some excellent beef sliced to order in a sandwich, a parade of desserts, some champagne, some bitter vahlrona hot chocolate with tahitian vanilla marshmallows, several signature salmon cornets, a deviled egg, some more of the same foie I had at Bouchon on a toast, and some Liberty farms duck breast pate on a toast. I don't know how I had room for it all! I ran into Pim and David Kinch there and we had a nice visit together. Many of the significant players from the Bay Area food scene were there including most of the local Michelin starred chefs and the SF Chronicle food critic. There was a chorus of children dressed in period holiday outfits singing and caroling. A lovely afternoon.

[Aaron T]

I don't think Bouchon Bakery has its own thread, so am tacking on my visit to the bakery here.

Morning after dinner at TFL, we had breakfast at Bouchon Bakery. There was a line out the door. I had a tuekry sandwich on a baguette, which was ok and a chocolate donut that was good and unusual. The donut had spherical chocolate chunks, that were crispy, on top of it. The crispyness of the chocolate was unexpected but nice.

We also waited and got a baguette straight out of the oven. Still warm.